[OPINION]
Please Get Willow Smith off Grown Folks' Twitter

In recent weeks, Willow Smith has seemingly learned a very important lesson about social media, and more importantly, the repercussions that come as a result of her echoing her most personal thoughts on an oh-so-public platform.

The littlest Smith seemed to be a bit down and let that be known via tweets like, “This day has been horrific… #wishlifewaseasy” and “Sometimes… Life sucks.” Immediately people assumed that she was referencing her parents, who have been rumored to be on the verge of divorce for several months. A defiant Willow wrote in response, “Omg, stop it already! I'm not allowed to have a bad day? This has nothing to do with my parents! Geez!”

The day before that message, the 11-year-old burgeoning Pop star said, “I am regular person…For forget that (sic)…Nobody has a PICTURE PERFECT life… I am still just a child…”

That statement rings true, but the latter part of it is what stands out the most. No matter how bright a child Willow Smith may appear to be, she is still very much a young child. Knowing that begs the question: just why is she on Twitter? And really, is there no one around monitoring her tweets?

I am not one of those people who can believe that an 11-year-old can’t have real problems. There could very well be something causing Willow to stress out. Whatever it is, though, I worry that she might be choosing the wrong forum to express such grievances. As archaic as it may sound, there are these wonderful things called journals that allow you to express your thoughts privately. Perhaps Willow should be given one so she can jot down those kinds of thoughts there.

For all its value around entertainment and information, Twitter can often be a cesspool of miserable jackasses ready to pounce on anyone who dares show the slightest form of weakness – especially if you’re a celebrity. I looked at some of Willow’s mentions following her series of tweets and some of the responses came from people who deserved to be pushed into a landfill for the pitiful. I’m not sure if Willow saw any of the shade hurled her way, but the fact that she has been given an opportunity to be exposed to that kind of cruelty is concerning.

I am not a parent, so I’m admittedly reluctant to offer any extensive criticism towards Willow’s parents. However, the more Willow tweets the more I wonder if children ought to have greater limits when it comes to their manner of self-expression. If Willow Smith wants to shave her head and dye it blond, well, that’s between her and her parents. All I can say to that is when it comes to my future lab created babies and Ghanaian adoptees, they won’t be allowed to rock the Amber Rose cut pre-puberty.

Even still, I can’t help but wonder aloud what on Earth her parents are thinking when I see headlines about Willow Smith tweeting pictures of herself on a stripper pole for the world to see. The picture was subsequently deleted, but the fact that such an image made its way online speaks volumes about the greater issue – one that continues to linger.

There’s been a longstanding debate over whether or not she and her brother, Jaden Smith, are too “grown” for their respective ages. I don’t have a strong opinion about that one way or the other. One thing is for certain, however: No matter how the Smiths view their kids, the world isn’t sharing that view. So perhaps their young daughter ought to tweet accordingly. Or you know, maybe not tweet at all.

Michael Arceneaux is a Houston-bred, Howard-educated writer currently based in Los Angeles. You can read more of his work on his site, The Cynical Ones. Follow him on Twitter: @youngsinick